Forever Partners
by RansomeNote
Summary: Natsu has always been partners with Lucy, for anything and everything. So when he finds out that she got someone else to be her partner for an upcoming dance competition, he'll make sure to establish that fact. (NaLu One-shot)


**All rights to Fairy tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Natsu regretted the day that Mirajane and Erza taught him how to dance. Well, it was more like they _forced_ him to learn, so if he didn't do as they said, he probably be in a coma right now. However, he felt that it would be a lot less painful than the lesson that he had to go through with the two she-devils.

Natsu wasn't going to lie, he didn't like to dance _at all._ He doesn't see where he was going to use this skill in life, considering that all that mattered to him was fighting and protecting his family, which involved more fighting.

Oh, and food. Never forget food.

However, Natsu couldn't say that his interest wasn't peaked even slightest bit when he heard that Lucy was going to enter the Fiore Dance Competition, which was to be held in Crocus in a week. She was probably only doing it for the 350,000 jewel reward, but he also knew that Lucy was an exceptional dancer. He remembered when she tried to teach him how to dance, but he ended up being taken away by Erza and Lisanna, so he never got the chance to fully learn. If he had to be truthful, he would much rather learn dancing from Lucy, considering how gentle she usually is with him.

Right when he heard that at the competition they had to dance the tango, Natsu visibly paled. He remembered learning the tango from Erza. Worst. Experience. Ever. But that also meant that Lucy needed a partner, and who better suited than him? They were already partners anyway, and he was also her best friend, so it wouldn't be awkward as it would be if she was dancing with a complete stranger. Also, even though Natsu wouldn't say it to anyone, he liked showing off to Lucy. He could just imagine the shocked look on her face once she had seen him dance. He knew he was good. Hell, even Mirajane and Lisanna said that they were impressed. He knew that Lucy would give him a chance if he just asked her, of course after a little convincing. However, what he didn't know was that there were other people that would jump at thee chance to get to dance with Lucy in the competition.

That brings us to his current predicament.

It was a regular day at the guild. Chairs and tables were flying in different directions and there was yelling and laughter all around. There was never a quiet day in Fairy Tail. And really, none of the members would have had it any other way.

Natsu was having his usual fight with the stripper. Gray went too far again and stripped off his underwear, leaving him naked in front of the whole entire guild. It's not like no one was used to this, but Macao decided it would still be better if he covered the eyes of both Wendy and Romeo.

Gray's nudity really started to piss off Natsu,so he decided to throw Gray into the back of the guild, promptly crashing him into Juvia, which she wasn't going to complain about. Natsu dusted off his hands and mumbled, "Stupid pervert."

He walked over to the bar and sat down, immediately ordering a fire whiskey. "So, Natsu. Did you hear about that dance competition they are holding next week?" Mira asked him, cleaning out a glass on the bar top before starting on his drink.

"Yeah, I heard about it. I'm probably going to do it with Luce, considering how she wants to do it." Natsu said as he shrugged. Mira got a devious look in her eye that Natsu didn't catch. She then set his drink before him with a smile.

"Well you better hurry and ask her, I heard there were a couple of guys wanting to compete with her." She sang. Natsu almost choked on his whiskey.

"Who else would want to do the competition with that weirdo? Besides, I'm her partner, so I obviously have to do the competition with her." Natsu said as if it were the most obvious statement in the world.

Mirajane gave a slight smirk to this statement and leaned over the bar. "Don't you think you are being a _little_ too protective over her, Natsu?" Mira asked. Natsu looked at her weirdly. "I mean, why don't you want anyone else to dance with her?"

"Well, she is my partner _and_ my best friend so there really shouldn't be anyone else that should dance with her." Natsu said, getting a little agitated by all these questions. Mira put up her hands in surrender. "And you said so yourself, I'm a good dancer. I could probably make her win the competition. Any other bastard would just bring down her performance." He boasted, making Mira giggle.

"Alright, Natsu. You win. Now, finish your drink before Gray throws Gajeel into the bar." She said, looking passed his shoulder at Gray who had now picked a fight with Gajeel. Natsu downed his drink and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Yosh! I'm all fired up!" He said before joining in on the brawl. Mira just giggled as she took out the communication lacrima and turned it on. A chubby-faced man then appeared on the screen.

"Hello Master Bob! How are you?" Mira asked with a sweet smile.

"Oh, I'm great Mira dear. Is there something that I could do for you?" Bob asked.

"Well, yes there is. Would it be too much trouble if I talked to Hibiki?" Mira asked, her smile growing wider.

* * *

Once Natsu was finished with his brawl at the guild, he walked towards Lucy's house in search of a nap. It was already about nine o'clock out, so he wouldn't be too shocked if she had just finished dinner and was getting ready for bed or working on her novel. He entered through her window as he usually does, and finds her at her desk writing her story. She hears him come in and looks over, giving him a small smile. After hundreds of times of him breaking in to her apartment, Lucy finally gave in and let him sleep here. It wasn't like he was going to do anything weird anyway, this _was_ Natsu after all.

Lucy finished the last sentence of the chapter she was writing and walked over to the bed where Natsu was, already under the covers. She sighed and shook her head. Her best friend had no sense of personal space. "Scoot over a bit, would ya?" Lucy said in a sleepy voice. Natsu scooted a little more to the window and let her get in the bed. His jacket was at the foot of the bed so he was half naked right now, but Lucy didn't really care because she was so tired. But she sure as hell would give him an earful tomorrow.

Lucy soaked in the warmth that her best friend was emitting. It was the middle of winter, so she was very lucky to have a human furnace right next to her. "Good night, Natsu. Sweet dreams." She said as she lay down on the pillow next to him, her front facing him.

"Good night, Luce." He said as he gave her what he likes to call a 'good night hug'. He had been giving her those a lot lately. Practically every time he came to sleep over, actually. But it wasn't like she minded. She returned the hug that her best friend was giving her and lay her head back down on the pillow. "Hey Lucy?" Natsu asked.

"Mhm?" Lucy asked, probably half asleep.

"Can we go on a mission tomorrow?" He asked.

Lucy cracked open her eye a little bit to look at him. She found herself staring into his onyx orbs that were watching her intently. Lucy had to blink before replying. "I'm sorry Natsu but I can't. I have to practice my dance routine with Hibiki tomorrow."

Natsu's veins surged with anger once she finished her sentence. _Hibiki is her dance partner? What does that stupid playboy know about dancing?_ Natsu thought angrily. Natsu really couldn't be mad at Lucy considering that she wouldn't have the heart to turn him down if he asked. Natsu clenched his fists under the covers so she couldn't see it, but she did see his muscles tense up a bit. He couldn't believe that little man whore got to Lucy before he did.

"It wasn't my choice really." She said hastily, making Natsu look at her. "He came up to me and asked if I could be his partner. I said that I would think about it, but he was very persistent. I ended up agreeing in the end." She mumbled. Natsu just nodded, not wanting to say anything for fear that he would yell at her. The last thing that he wanted to see was her upset. "But, you are coming to watch us perform, right?" Lucy pleaded.

 _Oh, if I have it my way, I'll be doing much more than watching._ Natsu thought, but he nodded anyway.

"That's a relief. It's always better when you're there to support me." She said before sleep took her over. Natsu looked over at her and sighed before trying to go to sleep as well.

His decision is final. He _will_ dance in that contest with Lucy, one way or another.

* * *

A week later, it was finally the day the guild was going to Crocus. It wasn't just a competition that was being held there, but a grand party for all the guilds, offered by the Princess herself. It was very generous and all the guilds were very excited, considering that the party was to be held in the grand palace. And well, Fairy Tail would never pass up an opportunity to go to a nice party and get drunk.

Natsu was sulking most of the week before. Lucy had spent almost no time with him, all because she had been practicing her dance with Hibiki, who had come to Magnolia to help Lucy get ready.

Natsu growled when he thought of Hibiki flirting with her. He had seen it a couple of times, and it made his blood boil when he saw the uncomfortable look on Lucy's face. Didn't that guy get a hint? Natsu knew he was being protective over her. He had to be! She and Happy were probably the most precious things in his life, so of course he would be protective over her. Hibiki was a womanizing bastard that didn't even deserve to talk with Lucy, let alone be her dance partner.

The only chance he really had to talk to her was right now, which was terrible because he couldn't talk at all.

They were sitting on the train to Crocus, Natsu's head on Lucy's lap as he tried to contain his motion sickness. Gajeel wasn't much better, his head leaning on Levy's shoulder as he tried to keep in his vomit, while she was just reading a book. Laxus was a bit better, never one to show weakness. But he could definitely see the blue tint to his face.

Natsu breathed in Lucy's vanilla scent as she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to calm his nerves. It helped that they were going to be in Crocus in the next ten minutes, so Natsu tried to hold in his lunch until then.

He cursed the day that he became immune to troia.

* * *

It was that night that the party and the dance was being held, and Lucy couldn't be more nervous. She had spent the whole day with the girls in Crocus, which has one on the biggest shopping centers, trying to find a dress for her to wear. Erza had suggested a very skin-tight dress that showed a bit _too_ much skin and cleavage, but would have been great for the tango. And while Lucy isn't one to be unaccustomed to revealing clothes, she felt that it was a bit inappropriate for such a formal dance, in front of the royal family no less.

It took hours of looking, but Lucy decided on a dress that was skin-tight on the upper half of her body that flowed a just a tiny bit on her bottom half. The dress ended at about three inches below her knees and there was a slit that reached up to her mid thigh. The dress was red, but had black lace in the design of roses all over it. The dress was a halter so it showed off her silky smooth arms, and there was a good amount of cleavage, even a little less than what she really wanted, that was shown. She brought a pair of red heels match, making sure that they weren't too tall because she would be moving around a lot.

When Lucy stepped out of the changing room, the girls gaped at her, making her feel a little self-conscious, but then they started to compliment her, and the only thing that made her uncomfortable right then was when Cana kept asking if she could fondle her breasts.

Lucy took a deep breath, hoping that everything would be fine that night.

* * *

Natsu was hoping the same thing as he attempted to button the buttons on his shirt in the right button holes. His shirt was a black button up with matching comfortable slacks that would be very good for dancing in. Natsu threw up his hands in frustration, not getting how he kept missing that one button hole that made his whole shirt screwed up.

"Natsu? What are you doing?" Happy asked him while he sat on the bed of the hotel room munching on a fish.

"Trying to get this damn shirt to button up correctly." Natsu grumbled, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"Why? You never cared about dressing up before." Happy stated. Natsu looked at his adoptive son with an exasperated look.

"Lucy'll yell at me if she has to dance with me when I'm not looking my best, even if it is a pain in the ass."

"Wait, but Hibiki is Lucy's dance partner." Happy said, looking at him in confusion.

"Not it I can help it." Natsu muttered under his breath as he finally buttoned his shirt up right. He then turned back to Happy. "Look, Lucy is my partner, and I don't think that she is comfortable dancing with anyone else besides me. And I'm her partner, so we have to do everything together! I'm not letting that little womanizer get his stupid horse hooves all over my best friend." Natsu said vehemently.

"Or...you just looooove~ her." Happy teased.

Natsu felt the tips of his ears heat up, but he managed to scowl. "Shut it, Happy." He said before he checked the time. "Oh shit, it's almost time! I gotta go!" He said before grabbing his shoes.

"Wait, what about Hibiki? What are you going to do?" He heard Happy ask before he exited the hotel room.

"Don't worry, I've got it all under control." He said as he shut the door.

"It's Hibiki that I'm worrying for." Happy muttered.

* * *

Hibiki was right where Natsu wanted him. Natsu was in the bushes, making sure not to mess up his outfit that he worked really hard on. "Nin Nin." He muttered before a magic circle appeared in front of him.

Hibiki was just walking along the river as he neared the castle, ready to dance with the beautiful maiden that he had gotten as a dance partner. He really had no idea why Mirajane had asked him to be her partner, but he really wasn't complaining at all. Her beauty stunned him when he first saw her, and it was only natural that someone as beautiful as her was with someone as beautiful as him. But then...

" **Fire Dragon's Roar!** "

And Hibiki was thrown into the river.

* * *

The party was pretty great. There was a lot of food and laughter and everyone looked like they were having a good time. Laxus wasn't even scowling.

Lucy ended up socializing with the princess almost the whole time. The two ended up becoming such good friends in a short amount of time.

"So Lucy, I hear that you are participating in the dance competition. Are you nervous?" Hisui asked the fidgeting blonde.

"I'd be a lot less nervous if I knew where my partner was." Lucy said truthfully. "Luckily I'll be going last, so Hibiki has time to get here." Lucy said. Hisui nodded before changing the subject. Then, the main event started.

Each minute that passed, Lucy got even more nervous for two reasons. One, Hibiki wasn't there. Two, everyone that went out there looked absolutely amazing, and she started to lose confidence in herself. It came to the point when Lucy was about to go next, after Minerva and Rufus, and Hibiki was _still_ not there. Lucy paled and decided to drop her name from the competition, knowing that it was better to get that over with than facing the embarrassment of going up there with no partner. Lucy was about to walk up to the king, who was hosting the celebration, but was stopped when a hand grabbed hers. She didn't have to turn around to see who it was because the warmth of the hand gave it away.

"Where are you goin', Luce? You're up next." Natsu asked. Lucy turned around to look at him, and blushed a little because of what he was wearing. He sure did clean up nice, but his hair was still as crazy as usual.

"Hibiki ditched, Natsu. I have no partner. I'm going to drop out." Natsu hadn't realized that he had taken _that_ long. Now he was starting to feel a little bad.

" _No._ " He stated, holding her hand in a firmer grip.

"No?" Lucy asked, very confused.

"No! You worked way too hard to come to this point and I'm not going to let you throw it away because that stupid horse ain't here." Natsu said.

"But Natsu, I don't..." Lucy started.

"I'll be your partner." He finally said. Lucy looked at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lucy asked, wondering if she heard him wrong.

"Weirdo, are you losing your hearing? I said: I'll be your partner." He said, pulling them closer so that they were face-to-face.

"Natsu...that's so sweet. But, do you even know how to dance?" Lucy asked.

"Sadly...yes." He said. "Just trust me, okay?" He said before letting go of her hand and walking towards the king. He whispered something in the man's ear before walking back to Lucy.

"What did you do?" She asked him. He just shrugged.

"Just watch." He said, taking her hand again and giving it a slight squeeze. Lucy squeezed back, and prayed to God to bless this sweet boy's soul.

"Well, that was just fantastic!" The king said. The crowd cheered as Minerva and Rufus gave a bow. Lucy had to admit, they were amazing. "And now, the final performance of the night: Fairy Tail's Princess Lucy Heartfilia and their very own Salamander Natsu Dragneel!" The crowd cheered the loudest it had the whole night. Despite this, some people were a little confused because they thought that Lucy would be dancing with Hibiki, but no one really cared.

Mirajane gave a smirk, making Lisanna shrink back a little.

Lucy took a deep breath as Natsu led her to the dance floor. She was unsurprised by the fact that she felt much more comfortable with Natsu than Hibiki. Natsu's warmth gave her a reassuring vibe, and he can always make her feel better whether she is nervous or scared.

She'll admit it; she has a slight crush on the dragon slayer.

 _Don't tell Mira!_

"Hey, I know that you had a routine worked out, but just follow my lead and we'll be fine, alright?" He asked as he gave her a boyish grin. Lucy just nodded, grinning back at him.

The music started, and Lucy and Natsu were gliding across the floor almost effortlessly, as if they had been practicing together for months. Everyone was amazed with how Natsu was leading Lucy, and all of the moves that they were doing made them look like a real couple, making Mira squeal internally.

It just felt so natural dancing with Natsu, and Lucy was seriously impressed by how he carried himself. Lucy had to admit, he was probably a better dancer than Hibiki.

The music was about to come to an end, and Natsu and Lucy knew that they had to make a big finale. As the music stopped, Natsu dipped Lucy by the small of her back and one of her arms wrapped around his neck while the other one rested on his chest. One of Lucy's legs were extended backwards and one was near his arched chest in a lunge position. Both Lucy and Natsu were breathing heavily, feeling each other's breath on their faces.

The two stared into their partner's eyes. Him looking into her deeps pools of rich chocolate, and her getting lost in the deep abyss that were his onyx orbs. They were so concentrated on each other that they almost didn't hear the loud clapping that erupted around them, most of it coming from their guild mates (along with wolf whistles). Natsu pulled Lucy up, never breaking their gaze, practically challenging her to blink first. Lucy was doing the same to him.

They finally broke apart after the king spoke. "Bravo! Bravo! I think it is clear who are winners are!" But Natsu and Lucy, being as oblivious as they are, didn't. "Natsu and Lucy of Fairy Tail!"

Lucy's eyes widened and Natsu just smirked. He was then surprised when Lucy latched her arms around his neck and brought him into a hug, which he was happy to comply to. The crowd erupted in cheers, but Lucy and Natsu were lost in their own little world.

It _was_ more fun when they were together.

* * *

Natsu was walking Lucy back to her hotel room around midnight. Most of his guild mates were either pissed drunk or knocked out in the ballroom, but the king ordered to let them sleep there, knowing that Fairy tail was always like this.

Lucy held the big sack of jewels in her hand as she swung it around. Natsu watched Lucy act like a little kid and smiled, knowing that whenever she was happy, he was happy as well. "350,000 jewel! I love you!" She said as she kissed the money sack, making Natsu snort.

"Hey, where's my love?" He asked as he extended his arms, asking for a hug. Lucy giggled before jumping into his arms, making him pick her off the ground and spin her around before letting her back down.

"Thank you so much for helping me out with this Natsu. It really means a lot." She said, blushing a little.

"It's no problem, what are partners for?" Natsu asked, shrugging. Lucy nodded with a smile. "Hey Lucy?" Natsu asked, making her look at him. "Anytime you plan on doing something that involves someone else, make sure I'm the first one you'll call, alright?" He asked. Lucy laughed and nodded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She said before holding out her pinky finger. "Forever partners?"

Natsu grinned before he intertwined his larger pinky with hers. "You bet!"

 **Hi! So I hope you guys liked that! That was my first attempt at a one shot so I'm sorry if it sucked. Anyway, I hope that everyone is having a great day wherever they are!**

 **Also, comment if you think I should do another one shot! And tell me what you though of this one.**


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